Steering gear for dollies



July 27, 1954 R. J. MOLUDY 2,684,858

STEERING GEAR FOR DOLLIES Original Filed Dec. 29, 1947 Rudolph JosephMo/udy IN V EN TOR.

Patented July 27, 1 954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE this applicationJuly 18, 1952, Serial No. 299,525

794,301. Divided and I My invention relates to improvements in steeringgear for dollies of the tricycle, front steering wheel type forming thesubject matter of my copending application Serial No. 794,301, filedDecember 29, 1947, and since issued as Patent No. 2,613,083, and ofwhich the instant application is a division.

The primary object of my invention is to pro' vide a steering ear forthe front wheel of such a dolly including a steering arm and clutchmeans whereby the steering arm may be operatively connected to thesteering wheel for steering purposes or disconnected therefrom to permitsteering by manipulation of the dolly.

Another object is to provide steering gear for the steering wheelincluding means for setting the steering arm to set the steering wheelinto different positions so that the dolly will be steered in a straightor curved course, selectively.

Still another object is to provide steering gear for the above purposeswhich is easy to operate, not liable to get out of order, andinexpensive to manufacture.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of my invention,together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readilyunderstood when the succeeding description and claims are read withreference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specifi-'cation.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in plan illustrating my improved steering gearapplied to the dolly;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical longitudinal section taken onthe line 3-3 of Figure 1 and drawn to a larger scale;

F gure 4 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the clutch pin drawn to a largerscale, and

Figure 6 is a view in bottom plan of the sector plate drawn to a largerscale.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, the dolly for which my improvedmechanism is especially designed comprises a pair of side frame bars 2having spindles 6 on rear ends 5 thereof on which are suitably mountedrear wheels 8 straddled by fender bars 5! attached to the side bars 2and spindles 6. The dolly is of the folding type and for that purposethe side bars 2 are pivoted, at at I2, at the front ends thereof to asaddle plate 3 for horizontal swinging from side 2 Claims. (01.2804i7.11)

by side folded position, not shown, into divergent relation againstflanges I I on said plate 3, said bars having pivoted thereto, as at I3, elbow jointed links I5 for maintaining said side bars in divergentrelation, all of which need merely be mentioned in passing.

A caster type front steering wheel I6 for the dolly has its forks I!provided with an upstanding spindle I 8 journaled in ball bearings, asat I9, set into the front end of a fork carrying bar It arching upwardlyand forwardly from the saddle plate 3, the ball bearings I 9 being setinto the front end of said bar 4 and retained therein by a pair of upperand lower collars 20, 2I suitably secured to the top and bottom of saidbar 4 and recessed, as at 22, -23 to seat said bearings I9 therein. Ashoulder 24 on the spindle I8 prevents upward end play of said spindlein said bearings I 9.

A sector plate 25 extends horizontally rearwardly from the upper collarand is suitably fixed on top thereofwith the spindle I8 extendingtherethrough, said sector plate having its curved edge roughened on thebottom, as at 26, and graduated on top, as at 21, all for a purposepresently seen.

The steering wheel I6 is adapted to be turned at will, and/or set intodifferent angular positions by means now to be described.

A steering arm 28 is rotatably and slidably mounted at its front end onthe spindle I8 to extend rearwardly above the sector plate and be swungsidewise, with a collar 29 thereon loosely engaging said spindle I8,said arm having a rear hand grip 3B. A pointer finger 3| visible throughan opening 32 in said arm 28 is adapted to register with a selectedgraduation 2'! on the sector plate 35. A detent bar 33 is pivoted, a at34, to the hand grip in underlyin relation thereto and tensioned by asuitable coil spring 35 to frictionally grip the roughened edge 26 ofthe sector plate 25 and thereby frictionally lock the steering arm 28 tosaid sector plate. Friction gripping material 35 may be provided on thedetent bar 33 for engaging the roughened edge 26 of the sector plate 25.By squeezing the detent bar 33 toward the hand grip 30, the steering arm28 may be released from the sector plate 25 for swinging at will, aswill be clear.

Clutch means is provided between the steering arm 28 and the spindle I8and which will now be described. A clutch pin 36 best shown in Figure 5,with upturned knife edge, ends 31 extends through and is fixeddiametrically in the spindle I8 directly below the front end of thesteering arm 28 with said ends 31 thereof adapted to seat upwardly inV-shaped clutch grooves 38 formed in the bottom of the steering arm 28to form with said pin an engaged clutch between the spindle l8 and thesteering arm 28. A coil spring 39 surrounding the spindle l8 between thesteering arm 28 and the sector plate 25 urge said arm upwardly, at itsfront end, to unseat the clutch pin 35 and disengage the clutch. Aknurled hand grip knob 40 is threaded onto a reduced upper end l! of thespindle ill to be screwed down thereon against the collar 29 and movethe front end of the steering arm 28 downwardly, in opposition to thecoil spring 29 to thereby seat the clutch pin 35 in the clutch grooves38 and engage the described clutch.

As will now be seen, with the hand grip knob 40 threaded down on theportion 4! of the spindle It the clutch pin will be seated in the clutchgrooves 38 so that the steering arm 28 will be clutched to said spindlel8. Now, by grasping the hand grip 3i: and squeezing on the detent bar33, said arm 28 may be swung to steer the dolly freely, or to set thesteering wheel [6 at a desired angle, as selected by registration of thepointer finger 3! with a selected graduation 2-1 on the sector plate 25,in which setting said wheel may be retained by releasing the detent bar33 for friction looking with the sector plate 25 in the manner alreadydescribed. On the other hand, by loosening the hand grip knob 40, theclutch pin 36 may be unseated, in the manner alread described, so thatthe spindle I8 is freed and the dolly may be pushed along, or around,with the caster Wheel l6 turning freely for steering of the dollyaccording to manipulation of the same by the operator.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification,without departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications, as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

1. In a dolly, a frame, a caster steering wheel having a fork with aspindl extending upwardwhat is 1y through said frame and rotatabletherein, a 5

graduated sector plate fixed on said frame and through which saidspindle extends, a steering arm swingable over said plate to rotate saidspindle and set said wheel at different angles in correspondence withgraduations on said plate, said arm having an end in which said spindleis freely rotatable to free said wheel for caster action, said end beingslidable on said spindle, clutch means for connecting said arm to saidspindle and is connecting the same, respectively, for setting of saidwheel by said arm and permitting caster action of said wheel,selectively, comprising a clutch pin extending through said spindle,clutch grooves in said end of said arm for seating saidpin when said endof the arm is slid in one direction, spring means opposing such slidingof said end of the arm, and a rotary member on said spindle for slidingsaid end of the arm.

2. In a dolly, a frame, a caster type steering wheel having a wheel forkwith an upright spindle thereon rotatably mounted in said frame, asector plate fixed on said frame and through which said spindle isrotatably extended, a steering arm freely swingable on said spindle oversaid plate and having a hand-grip end provided with a spring presseddetent bar pivoted on said end for frictionally gripping said plate tolocksaid arm in differently swung positions, said arm being verticallyslidable on said spindle in opposite directions, clutch parts on saidspindle and arm, respectively, engaged and disengaged by sliding of saidarm in opposite directions, respectively, for connecting anddisconnecting said arm and spindle, spring means acting against saidplate and arm for sliding said arm in a direction to disengage saidclutch parts to free said spindle and steering wheel while said arm islocked, and a rotary member on said spindle engageable with said arm toslide the same in a direction to engage said clutch parts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,467,271 Gutekunst Sept. 4, 1923 2,228,247 Cunningham Jan.14, 1941 2,388,692 House Nov. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 463,510 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1937 747,874 France Apr. 4, 1933

